


Bloody Poetry

by ZweIthePenguinwithaPen



Series: Black Rainbow [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Black Rainbow (RWBY), Blake Belladonna - Freeform, Blake is a slam poet, Blake performs at Ilia's coffeehouse, Blake x Ilia, Calico (RWBY), F/F, Ilia Amitola - Freeform, Ilia is a barista, Ilia x Blake, OC, and they get to talking, catmeleon, coffeehouse AU, it will be up here one of these days, it's called 'Amber' if I'm not mistaken, poet AU, they start dating in a much later fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 22:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16774456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZweIthePenguinwithaPen/pseuds/ZweIthePenguinwithaPen
Summary: The Beastly Beans coffeehouse is filled to bursting for tonight's poetry slam. All of Menagerie must be fans of this Blake Belladonna, and Ilia can't wait to hear her work once she serves her some tea. Ilia x Blake. Catmeleon. Calico. Black Rainbow.





	Bloody Poetry

**Author's Note:**

> Ilia and Blake is an interesting ship to me, and I figured they had been a thing before we found out in V5 that Ilia had a crush on Blake. Ilia's my favorite newer character, by far, and I hope we get to see her again. (Seriously she got a whole backstory AND a song AND a new outfit! That's a lot of work to just write a character off.) Anyway let me shut my face so you can have a fic!

Ilia had never seen this coffeehouse so packed out before tonight. Was every Faunus in Menagerie in the place? She and her coworker had been pushing teas and coffees back and forth and sideways. Her start-of-shift smoothie had melted before she'd even gotten the chance to taste it. Honestly, you would have thought Puma Thurman was performing.

  
But no, it was some other Faunus Ilia had never heard of... The poetry slams at the Beastly Beans coffeehouse always drew crowds, but this Blake Belladonna person must have been someone special.

  
A bird Faunus in Ilia's line ordered a mango smoothie, so she constructed a frozen masterpiece in a blender and sloshed it into a cup, garnishing with a shred or two of mango zest. The birdman flipped her more than a few extra Lien and complimented her scales. Ilia blushed and hoped her entire body wasn't turning red.

  
"So, Kobalt, how was your trip to Atlas to see the Mechanical Girls concert?" She asked as she prepared a particularly difficult iced latte. Her teammate's silvery hair bounced as he flipped it out of his eyes.

  
"Getting there was a pain in the neck, sure, but the Girls were incredible! NEOPOLITAN HUGGED ME! I also got to chat up Penny Polendina. She listens to so much amazing music. I spazzed so hard when she spoke to me!" The boy with the glimmering silver hair bragged. Meeting one's favorite band is certainly an experience to behold.

  
"Amazing! I still remember meeting Flynt Coal after one of his gigs! You know that there are still people who think his 'Killer Quartet' is really four other people? It's just him and Neon Katt, really."

  
"Must be nice to make copies of yourself. This rush would be running a lot more smoothly." he nicked. Ilia frowned, the skin of her face turning dark blue.

  
"I think we're running as smoothly as one of my masterpiece shakes! Look at this crowd! Look at that tip jar!"

  
"How about looking at that tea you're prepping before you waste it all over the floor?" He jabbed. She took notice of the dispenser in front of her just in time to stop the machine from pouring so the cup would not flow over. "Good save, Chameleon Girl!"

  
"Shut it, Dog Ears!" She mocked, rolling her eyes at her cohort. She sealed the tumbler mug with a lid and wrote the customer's name on it. She realized as she wrote 'Blake Belladonna' that this was tonight's performer. "BLAKE!" She yelled into the crowded mess. A feline appeared soon enough, long and flowing black hair and golden eyes. Ilia surveyed the poet, perhaps a bit more closely than she should have done.

  
"How much do I owe, ma'am?" Blake asked, though Ilia took a moment to realize what she'd heard.

  
"It's on the house since you're tonight's talent!" The chameleon replied, still gazing intently at the beautiful creature before her.

  
"Oh, lovely. Here then, buy yourself a drink, too." Blake thanked her and passed her a large Lien bill. She flipped another one toward Ilia. "For good measure, here's one for the wolf boy."

  
"Thank you so much! Good luck on your performance!" Ilia grinned at her, pocketing one of the Lien bills and passing the other to Kobalt.

  
"You know, I think I've heard her poetry before somewhere. She's supposed to be incredible." He mentioned, one of his wolfy ears twitching. Ilia could not wait to hear Blake's poems.

  
After what seemed like an eternity of slinging drinks, Ilia finally saw Blake take the small stage. It was little more than a nook in the front window of the coffeehouse, but she fit in well enough.

  
"Before I get going, can I just thank the Beastly Beans for having me? More importantly, whoever made this tea deserves a fat raise. This is the best tea to ever pass my lips! I really appreciate it!" She announced, holding up her tumbler with a smile. Ilia was glad everyone was looking Blake's direction, seeing as she could already feel herself blushing.

  
"That would be Ilia, Miss Belladonna!" Kobalt called out, pointing at his teammate. Her scales turned bright red at that.

  
"Ooh, a chameleon! Well, aren't you righteous in red!"

  
"She looks better in blue!" Kobalt replied. Ilia could have kicked him in the shin for that remark.

  
"Well, don't be shy! Let's get a look at you!" Blake suggested. Ilia glowered at Kobalt before stepping out from behind the counter and allowing her scales to turn a deep blue shade. "Breathtaking in blue, to be sure!" Blake announced, clapping for the barista. Ilia blushed bright red again, keeping the blush on her face this time.

  
She resumed her position behind the counter, mixing coffees and smoothies for her hordes of customers. Blake's poetry took Ilia's mind away. The way she spun a story, the lyrics and the melody that flowed without music. Her cadences mesmerized Ilia.

  
' _...And that's when I decided I would never write again_

  
_Because I was no poet, just an addict with a pen_

  
_Now I just recite, using my heart as my ink jar_

  
_Bleeding up and down the pages until I see stars_

  
_Through expressing these feelings I realized I was not alone_

  
_It's a bit of a different feeling bleeding all over a microphone_

  
_I'm used to hiding in shadows, changing like a chameleon_

  
_Still remember my own hell, and never thought that I would see the end_

  
_August burned red and October turned blue_

  
_Frozen in my December until my year began anew_

  
_Now I'm bursting onto this scene like vibrant spring flowers_

  
_And all my suffering was worth it because now I've found my superpowers_ '

  
"Thank you all so much for having me! I have been Blake Belladonna for your listening displeasure!" Blake announced as she finished her final poem. The crowd cheered raucously for Miss Belladonna. The majority of the crowd filed out, though a few stuck around to chat Blake up. She took a comfy seat on a small couch in front of the stage.

  
"Hey, I got you another one of those teas..." Ilia coughed out as she approached Blake. She was alone now, reading on her Scroll. She looked up from her electronic book, smiling at Ilia and taking the tea. She looked around the room for a moment, then back at Ilia again.

  
"It looks like I'm your only customer now. How about you have that drink I bought you?"

  
"I would, but I'm supposed to help clean up." Just then, Kobalt appeared with a cup of coffee in one hand.

  
"I'll get the place clean. Talk to your girl, Scale Face." He whispered, passing her the coffee and poking her in the shoulder. She nodded and thanked him quietly. The two of them chatted the time away until Kobalt absolutely had to lock up for the night.

  
"So yeah, you should come perform again as soon as you can," Ilia suggested as the two of them walked outside and Kobalt locked up behind them. The poet nodded.

  
"More importantly, I think we should hang out sometime." Ilia blushed a bright red at the suggestion. She and Blake tapped their Scrolls together to trade each other's information. The two Faunus women hugged tightly and parted ways.

  
"Ooh, is our Lezzy Lizard in love with the Black Cat?" Kobalt nicked at her. Ilia punched him in the shoulder.

  
"Shut your furry face, Wolfsbane! And thank you for not blocking my frock back there!"

  
"Don't mention it. Now when some tasty shot of mocha comes in and I wanna chat him up, I hope you would do the same for me."

  
"Always, Furball! You know I can't stand to block a frock." The two shared a laugh as they walked home to their apartment complex. Living two doors apart and working in the same place was expressly convenient.

  
Ilia could not wait to see Blake again.

  
\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

\/\/\/\/\/

**Author's Note:**

> Recommended Listening:
> 
> 'Bloody Poetry' by Grieves  
> 'Addict with a Pen' by twenty | one | pilots
> 
> There's at least one more of these fics, so I'll make a series page or whatever.


End file.
